5 to Remember Brian Wilson By
"...I'm picking up good vibrations."
Born nearly 25 years after they originally formed in Hawthorne, California, I still love The Beach Boys. Heck, my eight-year-old son loves them. He was singing along to “Fun, Fun, Fun” as a toddler.
Why? Their songs, the vast majority composed by the musical genius Brian Wilson, are utterly timeless. The eldest Wilson brother sadly moved on from this existence a couple of days ago. His incomparable music never will.
Rest in Peace, legend.
An older millennial, in my younger years, I knew The Beach Boys through the regular radio rotation of “Kokomo” and scattered appearances on the immensely popular sitcom Full House. John Stamos, who played Uncle Jesse on the show, has a long-standing friendship with The Beach Boys and has performed with the band somewhat regularly over the years.
It was only when I got a bit older that I came to know of Brian Wilson in particular. His importance not only to the band he founded with his brothers Dennis and Carl, cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine, but to American popular music overall is impossible to overstate.
Wilson is one of the most prolific songwriters, record producers, and musical artists of all time. As far as the 20th century goes, that fact is firmly cemented in history. There’s a reason he has sometimes been referred to as a “modern Mozart.”
Art Garfunkel on Brian Wilson:
When I heard “Good Vibrations” on the radio for the first time, I called Paul (Simon) immediately and I said "I think I just heard the greatest, most creative record of them all.” Brian showed us all the endless possibilities in what’s been recorded and how it can be layered and combined or subtracted to create something that certainly came from his California roots, which to me, has always represented the promise and sweetness in America. With that joyousness, he became our Mozart of Rock ‘n Roll.
My Five Favorite Brian Wilson Songs
This is a difficult task I’ve laid before myself. So, so many to choose from. I have revisited track after track of Wilson-penned tunes over the past 48 hours, give or take. Not that I needed to, they are all still among my regular spins.
Here goes nothing…
5. I Get Around (1964)
I mean, that falsetto delivered by Brian Wilson is astonishing. The unrivaled harmonies of the entire group are on full display in this fun-spirited bop. The vocal notches hit by Wilson near the end are as iconic as the striped shirts.
4. Help Me, Rhonda (1965)
In my humble opinion, Al Jardine wasn’t given lead vocals on enough Beach Boy tracks. The diminutive guitarist shows off his singing chops in this No. 1 hit penned by Brian Wilson. Jardine has stated he “did have a hard time with it.” Well, Al, we didn’t notice at all. Classic.
3. Good Vibrations (1966)
Months of production, 10s of thousands spent, a “wrecking crew,” and so on; Brian Wilson orchestrated one of the most amazing recordings in history in “Good Vibrations.” What more can be said about this “pocket symphony?” Just listen to Carl Wilson’s goosebump-inducing vocals.
2. Do It Again (1968)
Such an underrated song from the writing duo of Brian Wilson and Mike Love, The Beach Boys hit No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Do It Again.” It did climb to the top of the UK Singles Chart, marking it as the band’s second number-one hit there. Released as a standalone single, the song was a callback to The Beach Boys’ surf sound from the earlier ‘60s.
1. God Only Knows (1966)
Finally, the best Beach Boys’ track from the best Beach Boys’ record (Pet Sounds). “God Only Knows” is “the greatest song ever written,” according to Sir Paul McCartney. I’m not definitively going quite that far, but it’s up there. Just try not to FEEL this Brian Wilson masterpiece.
Great picks all around. Great pithy write up. I can’t argue with the choices, especially when you limited yourself to 5! Thank you!
I finally got around to reading this. Thank you for posting this, Nate. It brought a smile to my face.